And the Snow Turned to Hale
by Jasper'sBaltimoreBabe
Summary: Bella finds a mysterious note on her window Christmas morning. Who is it from, and could this person fix Bella's broken heart? Set after Edward left Bella. Summary sucks, I know. Read and Review!


**A/N: I got the idea for this story while listening to the song, How's the Weather? by Mallory Trunnell. The specific lyric that this fanfic centers around is: _And now her tears turn the snow to hail._**

**Obviously, being an obsessive fan of Major Whitlock's, the word "hail" turned to "Hale" in my mind, and Voila! This fanfic was born. Enjoy!**

The early morning light shone through the bedroom window, causing Bella Swan to wake. She sighed as she turned her back to it, never wanting to get up again. The pain from her first love's betrayal still stung her soul, even though it had been three months since he had told her he didn't love her anymore. Not even this day, one of the happiest times of the year, could awaken her from her zombie-like state.

It was Christmas Day. Bella was probably the only teenager in the world who wasn't rushing downstairs to see what presents she had received. She would've liked to skip the day altogether, for it was too much work for her to put on a brave face for Charlie. Her poor father had developed dark circles under his eyes not only from his concern about his daughter's depression, but from his lack of sleep, since almost every night Bella cried out in pain and fear from one of her nightmares about _him_.

A sudden crash from downstairs startled Bella, and she only calmed down when she heard her dad cuss in frustration. It was his never-ending battle with the coffee machine. Bella sat up and ran a hand through her dark brown hair. She slowly got out of bed and walked towards her window. Frost had formed intricate patterns on the glass, and she could see the small, white flakes of snow drifting down from the sky blanketing the small town of Forks.

_Snow is just frozen rain,_ she thought unhappily, and was about to grab some clothes when a small note caught her attention. It had been taped to the outside of her window. She opened the window, shuddering at the blast of cold air, and grabbed it before closing it.

The note had been neatly folded, and on the front, in scrolling handwriting, it read, _Bella._ The handwriting reminded her of _his, _and she could feel the hole in heart ripping open. Taking several deep breaths, she opened it.

_Dear Bella, _

_Please meet me in the woods outside your home. We have to talk._

It was not signed, and the instructions confused Bella. Why couldn't this person talk to her inside her house, where it was warm and dry? But then Bella realized that this person might not want to be seen by Charlie. And this couldn't be a human wanting to talk to her, because what human would scale the side of a two-story house to put a note on her window?

The real question was which Cullen wanted to speak with her.

Her thoughts in a whirlwind, Bella showered and dressed herself on autopilot. When she looked at herself in her bathroom mirror, she didn't recognize the girl that looked back at her. This girl had lost weight, weight that she didn't have to lose. She was paler than normal, her hair lusterless, and her brown eyes were dead, reflecting her soul. Could this pitiful human be helped by the mysterious rendezvous in the woods, or would she be pushed further to the brink of mental insanity? Either way, Bella had to meet whatever vampire was waiting for her. This could be her last chance for answers.

After quickly brushing her hair, she ran downstairs, only to be stopped by Charlie.

"Merry Christmas, Bells!" he said cheerfully, pulling Bella into a hug.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," she replied with a lot less enthusiasm.

"Bella," Charlie started, concern evident in his voice.

"I'm fine, Dad. Really. I just need to take a walk, I think," Bella said, hoping to escape the house.

"But it's freezing outside! And the snow is coming down harder. I don't want you getting sick," Charlie said.

"It'll only be for a few minutes. I just need some time to think," Bella pleaded.

"All right," Charlie sighed. "But if you're not back here in twenty minutes, I'm sending a search party!"

"Fair enough," Bella replied as she got her coat and boots from the hallway. She rushed outside, and was surprised at how fast the snow was accumulating. She trudged to the edge of the woods beside her house, and fear gnawed at her stomach. Could she really go through with this?

"I have to," she whispered to herself. "I must."

She had no idea where in the forest she was supposed to meet her mystery note-writer, so she just kept walking. She had to duck under pine branches and step over the occasional fallen tree while fighting the snow that made it nearly impossible to walk. In her exhausted state, she tripped on a snow-covered root and fell, her body sinking into the snow. As she looked at the treetops above her, she recognized this place; it was where she had fallen after _he_ had left her. Fresh tears mingled with the frozen snow on her face as the pain swallowed her.

"Why did he leave me?" she cried out, her sobs shaking her body. "Why didn't he want me anymore? Why doesn't he love me?!"

"He does love you, Bella."

Bella's crying immediately silenced, and she struggled to sit up in the snow to face the newcomer. A figure was walking towards her, and Bella rubbed a gloved hand over her eyes to wipe away the tears and snow. As her vision cleared, the last person she expected stood in front of her.

"Jasper?" she choked out, fear seizing her as the memories of their last encounter flooded back to her.

"I won't hurt you, Bella," Jasper said, and a wave of calm washed over her.

"You're the one who wrote the note?" Bella asked, her voice still shaky from crying.

"Yes. I had to come talk to you. I had to make things right."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked. A shiver shook her body.

Jasper walked over and picked her up in his arms. "You're freezing, Darlin'; let's get you somewhere warmer." His southern accent was more prominent than she remembered.

She braced herself for the burst of vampire speed, but it never came.

Jasper chuckled. "I figure we could talk while we _walk_ back to your house."

"Oh," Bella said. After a moment of silence, she asked, "What do you mean he still loves me?"

"Bella, Edward has always loved you. He never stopped loving you. The only reason he _lied_ to you," he stressed the word to get this point across to Bella, "was to protect you from what he is. From what I am," he added sadly.

"But Edward knew I was okay with you guys being vampires! I was never not okay with it."

"But I attacked you, and he realized how dangerous we were. He was protecting you the best way he knew."

"But he broke me! When he left, my life was shattered! How is that protecting me?" Bella demanded.

Jasper winced at her pain. "He thought you would be able to forget him. Forget us."

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard," Bella stated.

Jasper suppressed a smile at Bella's statement. "We tried to talk him out of it, but we couldn't. I'm so sorry you have been through hell these past few months." Sincerity was evident in his voice.

"But, Jasper, if Edward still loves me, why didn't he come back? Why you?" Bella asked.

Jasper sighed heavily. "Bella, after we came back from Phoenix, things changed. Emotions changed between us. I know you felt our connection."

"But you ignored me after that. We had been so close, and then you distanced yourself," Bella pointed out.

"That was only for Edward's benefit. If I had been more comfortable around you, closer, his suspicions would have been raised, and I didn't want to disrupt the family."

"Jasper, I don't understand. What are you saying?" Bella asked.

"Bella," Jasper stopped his walking turned his golden gaze on Bella. "I love you."

A wave of dizziness and confusion washed over her, and she thanked the gods that Jasper had been holding her, or else she would've fallen.

"Jasper-?"

"Alice saw my changes towards you. She was the only one. She told me to come back here, to Forks, to you, because she saw that you needed to be saved. _I_ needed to be saved," he added quietly. "You?" Bella asked, disbelief evident in her voice.

"I will always love Alice. She gave me hope when I needed it, and she will always be my best friend. But, Bella, you are my mate. And when you're separated from the one you truly love-"

"You fall apart." Bella finished his sentence.

"Yes. I needed you as much as you needed me."

"And here you are."

Jasper smiled. "Here I am, if you'll have me."

Bella looked at this man, this vampire, whom she barely knew, and in the depths of his topaz eyes she found what she had been missing for all these months.

"I love you, Jasper. Please, I want to be with you." She realized how pathetic she sounded, but she didn't care; she needed him, and only him.

"I love you, Isabella Swan," Jasper said, and sent Bella a wave of love and affection that took her breath away. "Merry Christmas."

As Jasper carried her back home, both of them basking in their new-found love, Bella's thoughts drifted to Edward.

_Goodbye, Edward, _Bella thought, the hole in her chest completely healed.

Bella couldn't be sure, but she could've sworn she heard a velvety voice reply, _Farewell, Bella, my love. Be happy._

**The End**

**A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! Reviews will be the best presents I receive!**

**And to all my readers of _Blood and Spells_: Chapter 15 will be up in a few days! Please be patient! ;)**


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